RUN Saipan’s Veterans Day 5K 2024 is set for Monday, November 11, with a race course that will start and end at Micro Beach near the former Hyatt.
“There are not many veterans’ activities on island when it comes to running so I wanted to hold this event in their honor,” said Run Saipan President Edward Dela Cruz Jr. “Veterans Day is the day when we pay respect to those who have served and given their all for our great nation,” he added.
This will be the third consecutive year that Run Saipan is hosting a Veterans Day event.
“We’ve held 5K sub events for Veterans Day in 2022 and 2023, but the biggest difference this year is that we are fully focused on veterans,” Dela Cruz said. “This year, I decided to hold the venue near American Memorial Park instead of the airport, and to use the official 5K Saipan marathon course. This year’s site is also near Crowne Plaza, where most of the military personnel are lodged so it will make it easier for them to join the 5K and then head back, shower and attend the ceremony. Garapan is also more centralized than the airport,” Dela Cruz added.
Participants will vie for medals as fastest runners in the veterans category and armed forces category.
“We just wanted to honor veterans, gather them together and run for them,” Dela Cruz said.
Those who want to sponsor or donate items for the Veterans Day race are more than welcome to contact Run Saipan. Veterans will need to contact Dela Cruz directly to avail themselves of the special category rate (edwardjrdlc@gmail.com).
“They’ll be ever surprised when they see the price rate,” Dela Cruz said.
“Funds raised, as always, will be used for Run Saipan’s race events such as the Beer Mile,” he added. “We would also like to thank our partners at Northern Marianas Athletics and the Department of Public Safety for their support. Thanks to Variety for covering our story. And most importantly, thank you to our veterans — this is for you.”
Pastor Matthew Furan, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, participates in one of the road races hosted by Run Saipan.
